Star of Dawn
by ForeverLostx
Summary: Based on the life of the Cullen family after Breaking Dawn, a new member is introduced into the family. The new addition, a young French half-vampire half human, causes turmoil between the Cullens and the Volturi once again. But who will win this time?
1. Prologue

Prologue – **Life after Breaking Dawn.**

Ever since the almost-fight with the Volturi, things had gotten better; I continued to grow at an accelerated pace, Mom grew stronger and stronger with her brilliant self-control and mind-shielding powers and my family just seemed… happier.

Of course, I had never known the extent of my family's happiness before I was born, but Carlisle had told me that everyone seemed to brighten up when I arrived. Apparently, before I came into this world, Rosalie was depressed because she could never be a Mother, but I had washed it away, just by existing. It was like I brought her something she could never have; a sense of motherhood. She was not my Mother, Bella was, but just my very existence had brought Rosalie happiness and joy, just that she was able to know and hold a baby and use her forever-increasing maternal feelings.

Just by breathing, I had made someone happy.

It also brought me joy; it was sort of a whole chain reaction. If Rosalie was happy, Emmett was happy. If Esme was happy, then Carlisle was happier – since he was pretty happy to begin with. And, well, I brought my parents the sort of delight that they accepted would never be there; they knew they could not have children and accepted it because of their love for one another, but again, just by my abrupt arrival, I gave them something that otherwise, they could never have.

If my family was happy, then I was happy. I was a happy child, per-say… technically, I was hardly a child anymore; I was ten years old and had grown to my aging climax. I was forever seventeen, just like Dad.

We live in Astoria, Oregon, now. We had left Forks over eight years ago because I was aging far too fast to stay much longer, and it had broken Moms heart to leave her Father, my Grandfather. It had broken my heart too, since I only knew Charlie for two years, but ever since I could understand the concept of 'Humans must be kept oblivious to our kind', I knew we would have to leave him at some point. I prepared myself, something that Mum did but found difficult.

I not only brought happiness, but I also brought around a sense of grief too.

My parents had repeatedly told me that even if I hadn't been born, our family would have had to move anyway, but I knew deep down that we had to leave to early because of me.

I never told my parents my true feelings; it would only cause uproar and chaos among members of my family alike. I was lucky in a sense that I had been born into a family of such compassion and love. Right from the very beginning, after causing my Mother so much pain through her agonising birth, I had won over every single members heart. They loved me, and I loved them. It was like I was a constant factor in their decisions, whether I would be happy and content or miserable and unhappy.

And then there was Jake, my best friend.

Jacob is twenty-seven now, but because of his constant wolf shifting, he had remained his physical age of seventeen. We had a great relationship; he always made me happy no matter what, even if he had to run to the nearest shop to grab me a box of cookies. We laugh, we talk, we smile, but I always see that strange look in his eyes that says 'I love you'. I get confused by that look because I don't know how I feel about him; he's my best friend, and that's all I want him to be, I think…


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One – **Andre Leroux.**

You would think I'd have been used to this by now, but this constant fighting still irritated me to no end, after ten years of listening to it.

"Why don't you just walk out the doggy flap like a good little puppy?" Rosalie questioned in a mocking tone, her face stern and full of hate.

"Why don't you just go and provoke the Volturi? Maybe then we'll get some peace around here…" Jacob retorted back, his tone menacing.

I was sitting on the couch, watching my Aunt and best friend scream at each other like it was nobodies business. It was always like this; Jacob this, Rosalie that… when did the fighting ever stop? The actually sniping didn't bother me in the slightest, but it was the thought that they actually meant what they said. Did Jacob actually want Rosalie to die? Did Rosalie really want Jacob to just change into a wolf and 'rid' us all of his presence? The thought disturbed me greatly as I loved both Rosalie and Jacob equally and had different levels of relationship with each; I didn't want either of them to go anywhere. I liked my family being a whole unit; the thought of someone disappearing gave me a headache.

I diverted my eyes to the weather outside. It was cold and wet, as per usual. The sun was hidden behind the thick canopy of puffy clouds, making it seem as though the bright ball in the sky had gone somewhere else for the day. Probably somewhere nice, I thought, laughing at myself for thinking such absurd things.

"If you two are going to keep fighting, could you at least make yourselves useful?" Esme asked, walking out from behind the gleaming kitchen. Thank God, I thought to myself; Esme would put them in place, like she always did. I smiled, suddenly wanting to run over and wrap my arms around my petite Grandmother, just for being herself. "Nessie darling," She greeted me with a warm motherly smile, "would you like to help me in the kitchen?" she asked, glancing over in my direction with her golden shimmering eyes.

Esme was beautiful, just like the rest of my family. She was the mother hen of the coven, a mother figure to her wayward immortal teenagers. Of course, everyone in my family was sort of 'adopted', other than me of course who was born into it. Alice, Jasper, Edward, Rosalie and Emmett were all Carlisle and Esme's sort of children, if you like. Although they were all over one hundred years old, they all looked from seventeen to nineteen years old, so strangely, the story was Esme and Carlisle could never have children of their own, so they adopted.

Sometimes, when I really thought about it, I wondered if most people actually bought the background story, or if they just accepted it because they had no other choice. From first-hand experience, I knew how convincing a full-vampire could be…

I snapped out of my reverie, realising that everyone was looking in my direction. How long had I been in my daydream? A couple of seconds maybe? But then again, a couple of seconds felt like eons to my family.

"Oh, umm… sorry. Sure; ill help." I apologised before beaming a dazzling smile at Esme, a smile that I knew she would return. My family seemed happy when I was around, like I was a presence they never had before and they were glad to have. Like I knew she would, Esme beamed a heart-wrenchingly beautiful smile, offering out her hand to pull me up from the couch.

I reached out and took her offered hand. The sudden cold touch neither startled me nor caused me to jerk back; I was one hundred percent used to this kind of contact, since my family were all like this, even my parents. Only Jacob and I had a temperature above zero degrease; to the rest of the family, we were like constantly moving radiators.

Esme pulled me up effortlessly, her strength unlimited since she was a Vampire. She led the way to the kitchen, her pace much faster than any normal human being could walk; everyone tended to go at a much higher speed than necessary. The kitchen was spotless, the marble worktops gleaming and the stainless steel shining. The colour scheme was blue; the walls tiled in numerous shades ranging from midnight blue to baby blue, the light shades a misty translucent cornflower blue and the under lighting beneath the top cupboards shining a steel blue. Blue, blue and more blue.

Some kitchen utensils were already laid out on the glossy worktop, their silver and steel gloriousness unstained and unscratched. I wondered to myself how Esme managed to keep her kitchen so clean; there were a number of times she had produced massive messy portions for Jacob, and a much smaller portion for me. Everything seemed brand new… maybe they were? I asked myself, pondering over the unanswered question; The Cullen's were certainly not short of money anyway.

"What are we making?" I asked Esme, breaking through the hanging silence. My sweet angelic voice seemed to echo through the kitchen, swirling off the glass windows and back to me like a boomerang. I didn't like this kitchen; I missed our old kitchen back in my parents little cottage in the woods…

"Anything you like, dear…" Esme answered, smiling sweetly. I wanted to sigh and roll my chocolate eyes. I know my family like to make me happy, but sometimes all I wanted was a straightforward answer, not 'whatever you like' or 'whatever you want'. I refrained from acting out at the answer and thought for a moment. What should we make? Cookies? Muffins? Cupcakes? It was then that I noticed I was in the mood for something sweet and unhealthy since all the suggestions I asked myself happened to be things with mounds of sugar that clogged up your arteries.

"Jake?" I called, deciding that I would let Jake decide dinner tonight. Clearly, Jake could fend for himself, whether it was a nice juicy Elk out in the forest or a take-away along the highway, but Esme insisted that if I was eating, Jake ate too.

Within seconds, Jake was beside me in the kitchen, the smell of wet dog bombarding my nose. Automatically, my nose scrunched up as I took in the scent, but I hid it well by pretending to itch my cheek with my hand. "What do you want tonight?" I asked, glancing up at his handsome features.

Typically, he shrugged and muffled something along the lines of 'anything'. Again, I refrained from rolling my eyes to the high Heavens and sighed. "Well, I'm not too bothered what we-" I started, but I as quickly hushed by Esme who was listening intently to something I had not yet picked up.

My eyebrows furrowed as I wondered what she was listening for, but then I understood; someone was driving up towards the house, which was strange because everyone was inside the house. Mom was listening to Dad playing the piano, Carlisle was in his study upstairs and Jasper and Alice had now joined Rosalie in the living room. Jacob was listening too, his face just as confused as mine as he pondered the possibilities.

"Are you expecting visitors?" Jacob mumbled, genuinely intrigued. Esme shook her head to answer, her brown straight hair framing her heart-shaped face.

"Not that I know of, Jacob." She said then. She didn't look worried, I noticed, but she looked confused too. This didn't seem like a big deal, but its not like someone could have made a wrong turn; we lived in the middle of nowhere, on the outskirts of the city. Our huge white mansion, the one Esme used her brilliant powers of designing to create, was hidden expertly between the trees, and so it wasn't like it was easy for someone to accidentally drive towards us.

I walked through to the living room, where I sat previously, and noticed instantly that Carlisle was already staring through the window, looking past the stream of rain that ran down it.

"It's another Vampire." Carlisle said, his voice slightly muffled but perfectly audible to my advanced ears. I then took a moment to wonder why another Vampire was visiting us. Was it someone we knew? Or was it someone passing through who happened to know there was a coven of vampire living nearby? I frowned, biting my lower lip nervously. Everyone was silent and still, the only things that could be heard through the unnatural silence were the slicing heartbeats and breathing of Jacob and I.

"Do you recognise them?" I asked then, catching the eyes of my parents as they descended gracefully from the upper floor. To me, they seemed to glide like professional dancers, the way the just stepped to and through so effortlessly.

Carlisle continued to stare for a long moment, "I'm not sure; even for our highly developed sight, it is difficult to see through these weather conditions." He answered, making me feel uneasy as the seconds ticked by.

I didn't know why I was worrying; Carlisle said it was one Vampire, not a whole coven. Together, we had eight Vampires, a half Vampire and a wolf shape shifter; there was no danger to us at all, and if this unknown stranger was smart, they knew they didn't have a chance either.

The car covered the fair distance within a couple of seconds and before I knew it, a sleek new model BMW was sitting outside, the engine humming as it ran. Jacob's eyes turned to saucers as he took in the beautifully styled car and just by that one reaction, I could tell the car was excededly expensive. "Check out the paint job on that!" He mumbled, rather loudly in my opinion. To be honest, I took after my Mother when it came to cars; they held no interest to me, whatsoever.

The car soon shut off with a slightly click of an engine key which I heard perfectly, despite the raging weather on the other side of the protective wall. The front door opened then, and out stepped a young looking man, a Vampire no mistake, that looked no older than twenty-five. His hair was shoulder length, black and messy from the tornado-like weather. His eyes, like the rest of the Vampires around me, wee a golden honey colour, indicating he was a 'vegetarian', so to speak. This made me feel better as it meant I was in little danger, not forgetting Jacob too, even though I knew perfectly well that he could look after himself.

"Carlisle? It's Andre Leroux." The man spoke, a strong French accent audible in the strangers voice.

Carlisle straightened up instantly and walked towards the door, opening it with such speed that it almost swung off its metal hinges. "Andre! Come in."


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two – **New Arrival.**

As Andre Leroux made his way up the stone steps in a fast skip, the intense wind battered at him with all its force while the droplets of rain ran down his pale flawless face, creating slim rivers of wet across his skin. I watched curiously as he made it to the front door, scanning his face like he was an escaped criminal. I tried not to be judgemental, it just sort of happened when you felt nervous and uneasy.

Andre was beautiful, but not in a way that the rest of my family was. He had that sexy dark edge to him that made him seem mysterious and strange, yet unbearably handsome. His black shaggy hair was wet and stuck to his pale face like glue, the two shades contrasting and making his skin seem whiter and translucent, if it was possible. His smile was dazzling and full of white pearly teeth, making my heart race even faster as I stared at his impossibly beautiful face. By the way he dressed, you could immediately tell he was foreign; his black leather jacket that hung loosely form his shoulders, black slim jeans that hugged his legs, tight black t-shirt that emphasised his rippling muscles and a silver necklace that had the name 'Nicolette' engraved on the front of a silver pendant.

Carlisle greeted the mysterious looking stranger with a huge bright smile, showing his Vampire fangs to the world. I was surprised by how happy Carlisle looked since I had never seen him that ecstatic about a visitor, but I guessed Andre was a very close friend, almost family, just like the Denali Coven. Carlisle and Andre then hugged, splashing droplets of water on anything in a metre radius and on me. I frowned, taking the slightest step backwards to find that my Father stood directly behind me, pressed against my back with one hand on my shoulder. I hadn't even noticed him standing behind me, or making his way towards me for that matter; I was in too much shock to find this stranger in our home.

Dad smiled reassuringly at me, that smile that was slightly crooked but accompanied with the weird 'its all right' look in his eyes. I returned his smile and turned my head back round, watching as Carlisle and Andre exchanged their 'hello's and 'goodbye's.

"How are you, my old friend?" Andre questions, watching Carlisle with his honey golden eyes. He seemed happy to be with Carlisle and almost thankful, as though he had been searching for us for years.

"I'm well, thank you. And you?" Carlisle responded, his tone reflecting the way his face was set; joyful.

"I'm doing alright. I have been better." Andre asked. Which he spoke, his arm reached up and he scratched the back of his neck, as though he was nervous to be here. I watched as he fiddled with the silver chain around his neck, almost as though he was caressing the silver. I seemed to be the only one that noticed this fact as everyone else was focused on Andre's face, his beautifully carved face. I began wondering who Nicolette was and what her connection was to this French bad-boy Vampire.

Andre then scanned the group behind Carlisle, taking in each face as it passed by is oval-shaped eyes.

"Esme." He said, smiling at my Grandmother in a friendly manor. "We meet again." He grinned, clearly friends with Esme too. Esme smirked, nodding in a playful manor.

"Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper, Alice, Edward…" He greeted most of my family with the same nostalgic tone, but stopped short at the sight of Bella, my Mother, and Me.

"I'm afraid I am not familiar with you two beautiful ladies yet…" He crooned, his voice deeply exhilarating. Wow, I thought, he's the charmer too. Mentally, I smirked at myself, knowing fine well that appearances wee different from personalities and deeply hoped that Edward was not prying into my private thought. I felt completely mortified at the thought of my Father hearing my recent thoughts. It was then that I realised he had completely missed out Jacob in his greetings.

"Bella." My Mom introduced herself, reaching out with her hand to shake Andre's. Andre took her offered hand and shook it gently, a warm welcoming smile spreading across his pale pink lips.

"Lovely to meet you, Bella." He sang, his voice like a thousand chimes of the sweetest bells. My Mom smiled, but I could instantly tell she felt no attraction towards Andre whatsoever. I suddenly felt extremely envious of my Mother for the first time.

"And you must be Renesmee?" Andre asked, his eyes riveted to mine. I nodded feebly, offering out my hand like Bella did. I suddenly felt extremely shy and exposed as the handsome Vampire took my hand within his own, the cold-warmth contrast affecting me more than it with my family.

"Lovely to meet you." He grinned, dropping my hand and straightening up. I hadn't noticed how tall this Vampire was until he stretched to his full height; he towered over Carlisle by at least three inches, and I had always considered Carlisle tall. He was around the same height as Jacob, Jacob who was stiff and irritated at my side.

"Actually, I am here to ask you a great favour of you and your family, Carlisle." Andre began; pausing as though what he was about to say caused him great pain.

"Anything we an do to help, Andre. You know that." Carlisle confirmed, a warm smile on his face.

"Thank you." Andre said, looking truly thankful. "As most of you know, my dear Nicolette passed away a couple of months ago…" He began again, his face screwing up as he remembered his deceased love.

"A terrible loss." Carlisle said compassionately.

"You know the situation, don't you? She was pregnant with my daughter." He asked, continuing once Carlisle confirmed with a nod. I was totally confused at this point, since this was the first I had ever heard about Andre, Nicolette and their daughter. Did this mean there was another half-Vampire half-Human accompanying him? I suddenly felt enthralled at the idea since the last one of my kind I had met was during the almost-war with the Volturi.

"Well, the Volturi has been given information about the birth and have requested my presence at a meeting." Andre spoke, although, there was a hint of anger and rage entwined with his lovely soothing voice. Carlisle suddenly looked enraged also and a sudden look of horror and fright passed over Esme's smooth face. I knew without even asking that this as a bad thing…

"I'm sure you know that it would be unwise to take my daughter with me. I wouldn't want her to get caught p with the Volturi; I don't want that kind of life for her…" I suddenly wanted to cry as I heard Andre talk, finally understanding what was happening.

The Volturi were, most likely, going to kill Andre and take his daughter.

Since my birth, the Volturi had passed a new law that half-breeds were no longer to be bred. Personally, I felt it was because they felt threatened by the power Covens could build with half-vampire daughters and sons, but they claimed that it was because too many hybrids would cause turmoil and could eventually lead to the exposure of our existence. They said that anyone breaking this rule, like all the other rules, would be sentenced to death, but the young would be spared.

"I was wondering if you could take her until I return? Of course, I will not burden you with another child if I do not, I shall make other arrangements-" Andre was suddenly cut off by Esme's motherly voice which seemed higher than usual.

"Of course we will take her, Andre! And, Heaven forbid that you do not return, she can stay with us for as long as she wishes." Esme sang, everyone's anxious eyes watching her as she spoke passionately.

Knew Esme and Rosalie would only be too happy to take on another child; they were always yearning for children of their own and so this was like a blessing for them.

"Really, Esme… that is kind of you, but-" Andre began once again, but Carlisle quickly paid his own input.

"Andre, you have been a friend for us for years. We would only be too happy to take care of your daughter." He said, his voice giving finality to the conversation.

Andre's daughter was going to stay here, with us. There would be another half-breed like me in the house and I couldn't have felt happier.

I couldn't help but smile in agreement with the rest of my family, looking forward to my future with another girl like me, different yet special all at the same time. I could finally have a friend that was like me; that understood what it was like to be the odd one out, to feel strange and weird in a family of Vampires.

"I cannot thank you enough. I came here because I trust you more than I trust anyone else to take care of Eloise. She is my daughter, my legacy, what Nicolette died for. She is my life." Andre whispered with such passion in his smooth voice. Like before, I wanted to cry. Andre had mentioned that Nicolette had died a couple of months ago, which meant that Eloise was only around the size of a toddler. She had lost her Mother and now she was going to lose her Father. I couldn't even imagine losing both my parents; it would kill me, drive an invisible spear through my heart and kill me painfully. For some reason, I wanted to hug the child I didn't even know.

"Its our pleasure. If Eloise is anything like you and Nicolette, she will be a perfect temporary addition to our family." Carlisle smiled enthusiastically. I knew he only put the 'temporary' bit in for a little reassurance, but everyone in this room knew truly what as going to happen.

Eloise was going to be an orphan.

Andre looked like he would cry if he could; he was shown such compassion and warmth that he looked like he would drop to his knees and say thank you all over again. I knew why he was so thankful; he had found a loving stable safe place for his only daughter, and he couldn't have been happier.

"Is she in the car?" I asked suddenly, listening to the soft 'thump-thump' of a heartbeat very much like my own. They were so similar that if I couldn't feel mine, it would have been hard to tell the difference.

"Yes. She is sleeping, but I shall go and get her now." Andre replied, shooting me another heart-throbbing smile. Funnily enough, I no longer felt the slightest bit attraction towards Andre; it was like I now felt so much trust and respect for him that it was impossible to look at him any other way. When I glanced up at Jacob, even he looked remorseful. Andre left through the front door again and was back in under a minute, carrying a small girl that looked around nine months old. Eloise.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter Three – **Arrival**. 

Andre brought Eloise inside just after six o'clock, waking her up once she was in the safe haven of our warm protected home. The little girl looked frightened and clung to her Father like he was about to slip away into a slimy liquid, hiding her face by burying it in the cold fabric of Andre's jacket.

Eloise was adorably cute with the biggest brightest blue eyes, framed by dark, long and heavy lashes. Her hair was a light shade of brown but was naturally multi-toned as though she had sat in the sun too long. Her face was just the most beautiful thing I had ever set eyes on, even more so than anyone else in my family; her face was round and rimmed in puppy-fat, but I was clear that when it cleared up and disappeared, she would have a slim face complete with high cheek bones. Her lips were plump and pink, her cheeks tinted with a rosy glow and her eyes were the perfect shade of navy blue to contrast and stand out from her pale complexion. She was truly, one of the most beautiful beings on the planet.

Andre encouraged Eloise to look up and eventually she did. She looked so tired yet slightly frightened. I looked around and came up with my own reason; there were eight vampires, one shifter and one half vampire staring at the poor thing. I frowned and bit my lip, my forehead scrunching up into tiny folds as I thought about the situation.

"Maybe we should, you know, back-up a bit? No wonder she is scared…" I mumbled, questioning my family. They all looked at me and I could see them deliberating in their heads, wondering if what I was saying could have been true.

They soon saw sense and did exactly what I asked. Everyone seemed to scatter around a little, except Jasper, Alice and my parents went through to stand in the kitchen for a couple of moments; less people, less eyes.

Eloise soon became more lively, her beautiful wide eyes full of life. I couldn't stop staring at the youngsters face, finding myself drawn to her like I wanted to stroke her flawless cheek. I then wondered if that's what I did to my parents when I was this age. Was I like that? Was I so unbelievably cute that everyone just wanted to scoop me up and crush me in a bear hug? I pondered for a moment until Eloise spoke, shutting us all into utter silence.

"Où sont nous?" She said in a faint angelic whisper, using her own language to communicate with her Father. Her voice seemed to echo through my ears like a thousand tiny bells, ringing and forming a sweet melody of the purest tones. I didn't understand what she said, but even if I did speak French, I probably wouldn't have understood anyway as I seemed to be compelled and spellbound by this toddlers singing.

Carlisle soon gave me a translation of her question; 'Where are we?' she had asked. I wasn't surprised, considering this child had fallen asleep and found herself in a stranger's home, surrounded by smiling vampires and shifters alike. I felt sick inside, knowing that this child, this stunning child, was about to lose the only parent she ever got to know. I wanted to cry and if I was alone, I knew I would have, but I felt stupid crying for something that didn't affect me, like it was an insult to Eloise if I cried for her.

"Eloise, vous allez rester ici pendant quelque temps, jusqu'à ce que je rentre." Andre soon answered, gazing down into his daughters' eyes. Love for this child seemed to pour out of his eyes like buckets of water, filling her little heart up to the brim; she would miss her father, more than anything on the planet.

Again, Carlisle gave me a quick translation; "Eloise, you are going to stay here for a while, until I get back." Gosh, why was this so hard? Why was he telling her he would come back? He wasn't going to return to her… but, then again, it wouldnt have been reasonable to tell a child that she would never see her Father again and she was being left with complete strangers.

"Mais Papa, je veux aller avec vous!" Eloise whispered fiercely, her voice gaining strength and height, so much so that it seemed like a miniature song.

"But Papa, I want to go with you!" Carlisle whispered again.

"Eloise, will you be a good girl for Papa?" Andre asked, changing language into English. Eloise stared at her Father, her innocent blue eyes filling with salty tears. I didn't want to watch this heartbreaking scene, but I couldn't rip my eyes off the beautiful child's face. She looked lonely and lost, as though the brightest star in her universe was about to fade and go out with a 'pop'.

"Papa? Please may I go with you?" Eloise asked, answering in English also. I found it impressive that, at only months old, she seemed to understand both English and French. She was also extremely polite too, which surprised me the most. What an intelligent child…

"No, Ellie. You must stay here. Carlisle and Esme are young to look after you, alright?" He confirmed, bending down his head to kiss Eloise on the forehead. The contact was soft, yet urgent. I didn't want to see this, I really didn't. I didn't want to watch this loving Father's last moment with his beloved child. But, maybe in a couple of year's time, I could show Eloise her father as she last saw him, I could replay back and forth the moment he left her with us. Maybe I could help her, or would that destroy her?

The small child nodded her head and bit her upper lip, showing her perfectly straight bottom teeth. Her arms were wrapped around Andre's neck, her long loose curls and her blue eyes seeming to be the only colourful thing in the picture I held in my mind.

"Good girl." He smiled, but the smile showed no happiness whatsoever; it was broken and shattered, sad and lonely…

"I'm afraid I must now leave. Once again, I thank you so much for the hospitality you are showing my daughter and the great kindness you are showing me." Andre smiled at each of us in turn, no longer looking or seeming like the confident sexy French hunk that walked in the door before. He suddenly shifted Eloise's weight to his left arm while he fiddled with the chain around his neck, snapping open the clasp to that it fell loose in his free hand. He held it out to Eloise, the silver gleaming in the light of the room to show the clear engraved name of 'Nicolette' on the main plate. The child too it within her hand and it looked so much bigger in her than it did in his. She stared at it for a moment and then clasped her fingers around it, covering the silver plate and allowing the chain itself to hang around her hand.

"Je vous aime, toujours." Andre whispered, kissing his daughter on the forehead one last time. I didn't need a translation to know that that meant, "I love you, always.' I placed a hand over my mouth while I struggled to hold back the tears threatening to explode from my eyes.

"Je vous aime, toujours." Eloise repeated, her voice braking as though she would cry too. Why wouldn't she? I was sure that even she knew what was going on; when I was that age, I knew a fair bit about the world too.

Andre smiled down at his daughter, chuckled once then looked directly at me.

"Ellie, this is Renesmee. She is the same as you, would you like to meet her?" He asked. I was immediately taken aback by the sudden sound of my name. Why me? Wouldn't she be better off with Rosalie or Esme? Eloise looked at me, for the first time acknowledging my presence. She did nothing, which I took as a bad sign. What if she didn't like me? I thought in horror, suddenly feeling weirdly ashamed of myself. Then the child smiled, a sweet smile that was shy and bashful, like she wanted to come close but was afraid.

Andre then closed the distance between us and placed the young child in my arms, smiling like she fitted perfectly in the groove of my arms. She was light and feathery, like I could crush her tiny bones with a slight flick of a finger. I balanced her on my hip, smiling down at the angelic face that was smiling at me too. I suddenly felt a close connection to her, like I had known her my whole life and she had known me.

"I think she likes you…" Andre noted, a heartbroken smile playing on his lips. I could tell he was happy that Eloise was contented where she was, but he hated leaving her and that this was their last meeting. I still held hope that the Volturi would allow Andre the benefit of the doubt, but I knew I was fooling myself; this would be my last meeting with Andre, too.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four – **Departure**

The final goodbye to Andre was the hardest of all.

Surprisingly, I still held little Ellie in my arms, cradling her like she was my own little sister. That's what I thought of her now; a little sister, not a best friend. Yes, some day we would be best friends as she would eventually grow to be the same physical age as me, but I would always see her as my little sister, and I hoped that she would see me as her older sister.

Eloise watched her Father walk out the door after a final hug and kiss, the last contact they would ever have. The worst thing was knowing that Eloise would constantly be looking for her Father and awaiting his return while I sat back and watched, knowing that she would never see him again; he would be lost among the passed souls, with her deceased Mother who had passed too, without ever knowing her beautiful daughter.

She watched from the window, her eyes following her Fathers every movement like she were a prowling cat, ready for its next prey. Not once did her stare falter or break; it was permanently glued to the French man, walking to his own execution

I felt sick to the stomach, not caring that I hadn't eaten since breakfast or hunted since the day before. All I wanted was for Andre to turn back, take his daughter and live a happy life with her.

Sure, already I loved Eloise like she were my baby sister, but I loved her in a way that I wanted her to be happy. Still, reality was harsh and unfair and this child got the seriously horrible end of it.

Down at our mini parking lot, Andre waved and smiled sadly, taking final glance at his daughter before whispering, "Take care of her…" to us. I nodded sincerely, silently promising Andre and myself that I would do anything to protect this child. Esme and Carlisle were at either side of me, watching one of their greatest friends leave for the final time. The hallway was dimply lit with one lamp, two exquisite paintings hung proudly on each opposing wall and a large Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens plant sat proudly in the left-hand corner.

The weather was still treacherous behind the walls I stood within. It was like the day had picked its weather especially for these moments. Pleasant weather would have felt out of place and inappropriate, but the rain and wind alike created the mood and scene perfectly; depressingly heartbreaking.

There was one final glance of Andre, a blurred glance that did his majestically beautiful appetence no justice. The rain made it difficult to see Andre's last moments with his daughter hard. I wanted to witness everything I could so that on day, when Eloise was old enough, I could show her what had happened and so that she would always have those memories, stored within my head and ready to play.

Within seconds, Andre was inside his sleek BMW, revving the engine and driving off down the winding driveway. Eloise placed her hand on the window as though she could touch the car and pull it back, but she couldn't. She stared in the direction her only living relative drove off in and stayed like hat for a long moment. It wasn't until I really looked that I saw tears were rolling down her cheeks and onto her white t-shirt.

I wanted to cry too, but I didn't.

I looked away then, knowing there was nothing else to see other than the soft drizzling of the pattering rain against the scenery outside. I diverted my eyes to the ground, but something else caught my eye. To my left, the previously sat blooming plant was no dying and withering, just like that. If I looked closely, I could actually see the plant drooping like its life was pouring out the bottom and into its damp soil. I stared at it; my eye's narrowing as I concentrated on watching its slight dull movements. What was going on? I had never taken biology in school, but I knew for sure that this was not normal behaviour for plants.

I decided to leave the plant for now since I didn't want to ruin the precious moment for Eloise, but something was odd about that. It seemed stupid to obsess over something so insignificant at that particular depressing moment, but it made me uneasy and unsettled.

"Eloise? Are you hungry?" Esme asked softly, breaking the tender silence. Her voice was soft and gentle as she peered down at Eloise; awaiting an answer from the child I still held within my arms. I didn't get tired of holding her; in fact, it was the complete opposite; with Eloise came strength, strength I never knew I had. I happened to be a rather lazy person when it came to standing and holding, but carrying this tiny person didn't bother me at all.

Eloise shook her head and wiped her face subtly with her sleeve. "No, I'm not hungry thank you." She answered politely, her voice like wind chimes on a windy day. There was a hint of French accent in her voice, just like it had been with Andre, but it seemed like this child's voice could mould itself into any language and sound fluent.

We descended the stairs and to my horror, it was already twelve o'clock. How long had Andre's visit been? How long had we been standing by the window?

"Nessie, don't you think you should be going to bed now?" Mom asked, smiling at Eloise with a beaming grin. I did feel tired, in fact, I felt exhausted, but I suddenly felt frightened to leave Ellie alone down here. So far, she was only comfortable with me and I didn't want to leave her in the hands of someone she was not sure about.

"Eloise will be fine, Ness." Jacob smiled, his voice rough and deep as he lounged on the sofa like it was his very own bed. Technically, since he did sleep there every night, it was his bed but still… his filthy body against that white fabric made me shudder inside

I huffed for a moment, considering leaving Eloise with either Esme or Rosalie. It was strange how I suddenly felt responsible for a child I hardly knew and had known for a couple of hours, but Andre had left her in my arms, didn't he? Was that a sign? I sighed and turned to Esme, handing over the small child who still looked depressed and tired. I felt the sudden urge to kiss her goodnight, but I jolted away suddenly, but not much that anyone noticed. What was this? Why did I feel like she were my own child?

Esme smiled down at Eloise. The child looked perfectly content in Esme's arms as she did in mine, so I took this as a sign that I should go to bed and felt better, knowing that Ellie was happy.

Tonight's event had taken everything out of me; happiness, joy and energy. It felt horrible to know that this could happen to anyone. What if it happened to me? What if something happened to my parents? Where would I be then?

I shook my head fiercely and chose not to think about it and instead, I thought about my warm cosy bed, just up the stairs within a seconds reach if I ran. But I didn't want to run, I wanted to drop right where I was and sleep soundlessly on the carpet. This day was so confusing and strange; I had watched the most depressing thing I have ever witnessed with my own eyes and my family and I have a new child to bring up. Great. All in a day's work, right?

I climbed the stairs and reached the top in a couple of seconds; I may have felt lazy, but I was still fast. My room was the second on the right, but I hardly noticed as I wondered in without turning on the light and jumped onto my bed, surrounded by the thick heavy darkness. I cuddled into my duvet and quickly found myself in the land of sleep, drowsing off into the happiness of idealism and fantasy.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five – **Talented.**

I stood, rooted to the spot as my family said goodbye for the final time. They turned their backs to me and began walking, drifting off into the black hole behind them, shuffling towards oblivion without me. I felt alone, scared and isolated in this endless black nothingness, watching as my family grew farther and farther away from me.

"Wait!" I called desperately, but nobody heard my cries. They continued to walk, oblivious to me screaming their names behind them. Mom, Dad, Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Alice, Emmett, Rosalie, Jacob… even Eloise, the little toddler holding Esme's hand tightly.

I stared after them frantically, my vision blurring so that the edges of each person seemed to fade away. They were fading, just like that. Disappearing for good into the black hole of space…

I broke into a run after them, but it only increased the pace at which they walked. I grew further behind until they seemed like an insignificant dot of light being swallowed up by the gaping blackness. "Mom! Dad!" I cried again, unable to stop the flood of tears that burst from my chocolate eyes. Why won't you wait? Why won't you take me with you? I thought sadly, giving up my run as I watched space engulf my family, the only people I ever loved.

-

I woke up suddenly, my whole upper body jerking up like lightening. My heartbeat raced like I had been electrocuted, my throat dry and swollen like I had dried out the saliva by my excessive breathing and my mind wouldn't stop reeling. All I could remember was my family walking away, walking away from me, and leaving me alone in the dark…

I suddenly wanted to cry and wash away al my fear, but like the day before, the tears would not come. It was like I was to upset to cry, like I was so permanently damaged that I would never show that emotion ever again.

I felt uncomfortable on my bed, too warm and clammy. I threw off my covers, running a warm hand through my messy heap of loose copper curls. Why was this scarring me so much? Was I really this susceptible to other people's problems?

I stood up, feeling too warm even though I had escaped the uncomfortable warmth of the heavy blankets. I paced for a long moment, getting my head straight while I thought about my dream. This wasn't some sort of strange prophecy was it? What if it was? What if-

I stopped pacing and noticed Jacob standing in the doorway, leaning against the frame as casual as anyone could be. "Are you alright?" He asked, his eyebrow arched in a questioning manner. I wanted to scream, unsure whether he was genuinely intrigued or if he was being sarcastic and patronising.

"I'm fine." I lied, smiling faintly to my best friend. Jacob saw right through the lie, shooting me one of his special 'are you serious?' kind of look that meant he wasn't fooled. Damn, I thought, wondering if I should just make a run for it. But then again, he could probably catch me… I was stuck.

"I just had a bad dream. No big deal." I mumbled, feeling annoyed at myself for even expressing what was really wrong. I didn't need to tell anybody about this if I didn't want to! This was my own business, my own life!

"Come here…" Jacob said, moving further into my room and extending out his muscled thick arms. I dived right into them, feeling his warm body against mine. Even though it was being too warm that bothered be earlier, this was a good kind of arm, a protective kind of warm. "What was your dream about?" He asked in a soft whisper, low and nearly inaudible.

I tried to think of something realistic yet nothing close to the truth. I hated feeling vulnerable and open, ven though I knew it was better to be that way. Just hated people knowing my problems and trying to solve them, because I knew that that was my job; I had to solve my own problems, how else would I learn?

"The Volturi." I lied again, but this time Jake couldn't see my face to tell he difference. I knew he would buy this one as it was realistic enough; I genuinely expressed fear towards the Volturi and they wanted t burn my family to smithereens, but I rarely ever told anyone that.

"Don't worry about those clowns! They wont get within ten miles of us if I can help it." Jake reassured me, squeezing me for effect. The contact felt good, protective and close. Now that Jake was in my arms, he couldn't escape from me, he couldn't walk away and leave me behind.

I let go of Jake then and he let go of me. It suddenly felt awkward and uncomfortable, like someone had flicked a switch from 'completely at ease' to 'totally uncomfortable'. Jake and I were suck great friends, but sometimes it was like we were on opposite ends of the supernatural spectrum.

"I better go down and see what's happening." I mumbled, feeling eager to see Eloise. Jacob nodded and watched as I walked out the door and descended the stairs, a strange hurt look across his face like I had slapped him. I ignored it and continued on my way.

When I got downstairs, Eloise was on the floor playing with a couple of my old baby toys, smiling and laughing like a child that age should be.

"Morning." Rosalie greeted me, smiling warmly at my face. I hadn't even noticed that she was sitting beside Ellie, laughing and smiling with her. They looked nice together, I noticed, like the perfect sort of family. Rosalie was always good with children, so I knew this kind of thing was only natural for her.

"Morning." I answered, returning the warm smile politely. I was still in the clothes that I had worn the day before, after falling asleep the instant my head touched my pillows. I figured I should have got changed, but I felt compelled to stay downstairs now and play with Eloise and Rosalie. Maybe Ellie had strange powers? I wondered, pondering over the thought. Andre had not mentioned anything along the lines, but perhaps he had never noticed before, as his love for her would have been instant. Did Eloise have powers to draw people to her?

I ignored my thought, sure that if that was the case, we would find out soon enough. "What are you guys doing?" I asked, making casual conversation in the best way I could.

"Just keeping Ellie busy." Rosalie laughed, her voice lovely and sweet, a lot like Ellie's. "Little Eloise happens to be incredibly impatient." Rosalie continued, smiling warmly at the laughing child. Of course, I had no idea what she was talking about, but I took her word for it. As I stood watching, I felt misplaced as Eloise and Rosalie laughed together, like I was ruining some sort of perfect picture they were creating. I decided to make myself remotely useful.

"Eloise, do you want anything?" I asked, but the child shook her head. "A drink?" I persisted, determined to find something to do for her. This time though, Eloise bobbed her head every so slightly, smiling up at me with such a perfect smile that it broke my heart. "Alright." I smiled and walked towards the kitchen where Esme was preparing food. "Eloise wants a drink…" I chuckled, shrugging my shoulders while I grabbed a plastic cub and filled it with water.

"What's on your mind, Nessie?" Grandma asked, like she instead of Edward could read my thoughts. It was weird ho Esme automatically knew if something was wrong, like she had stolen Jasper's power too, but I guessed that was what love and motherhood was.

"Nothing…" I reassured her with a convincing smile. I could tell she wasn't fooled, but she was polite enough to not persist. She nodded and with her confirmation, I walked off into the living room to hand Eloise the water. The child took the cup within her grasp, using both hands like she would have trouble holding it up with one. She looked incredibly cute as she sipped at the plain water, smiling in content when she was done. She only had a small dropped, but stared at the rest like she could mentally mould it into something.

The child's stare intrigued me, so I stared too, at her tiny porcelain face and bright blue eyes. She was concentrating so hard that I thought she would physically begin to shake. "What is she aiming for?" I wondered aloud, not realising until Rosalie answered me with a lazy shrug of the shoulders. She was confused too and watched the child with intent eyes.

Suddenly, the water n the almost-full cup rippled and jerked, as though Eloise had moved it from side to side, but she did nothing. She was a still as a Vampire, which wasn't surprising since she was half, but the silence and deathly stillness seemed unnatural and strange on her.

The water moved again, but this time a very fine droplet rose into the air and dropped back down, causing another searing ripple inside he cup. Eloise then lost her concentration and looked up, smiling innocently at Rosalie and I.

"Eloise, how did you do that?" Rosalie asked, her face stunned and full of surprise. Her golden eyes were like wide saucers and her mouth was hanging open in the shape of an 'o'. Else entered the room then, picking up Rosalie's surprised, yet a little confused tone.

"Is something wrong, Rosalie?" She asked, standing beside me as she stared at all three of us in turn. Eloise sat like a little angel, her pale face set in a way that was innocent and like she had no idea why this was such a big deal. Rosalie and I were completely dumbstruck, like someone had hit us over the head with a club and knocked out all of our single brain cells.

"Eloise just made that water move…" Rosalie mumbled, crawling forward to sit beside the talented toddler. Eloise looked up at me, her eyes wide and almost scared, like she didn't mean to do that she did but she knew how. It was a strange look, I could tell instantly that she didn't like the attention; she was a shy little thing.

"She made the water move?" Carlisle's voice was suddenly vibrating through the room. He was standing beside me within a millisecond, staring at Eloise too. She still held the cup tightly within her hand, but she was looking up at me like she wanted me to save her from her own personal hell. I wanted to, I really did, but even I knew what she just did was extraordinary; she was special, one of a kind.

"Eloise, could you show Esme and Carlisle what you showed me and Nessie?" Rosalie asked Ellie, her voice sweet and convincing. Eloise diverted her eyes to Rosalie and away from me and I could see her deliberate whether she should do it again. I wasn't sure whether she felt embarrassed about this, or perhaps she felt that she had done something wrong?

"Everything is okay. What you did was a good thing…" I encouraged, my voice accompanied with my best warm smile. Eloise seemed to nod ever so slightly and she placed the cup back onto the carpet. At first, I thought she was refusing to do what she had done before, but it was the complete opposite; she was doing something better.

She hovered her hand over the cup, her palm just the right size for the circle rim of the top. She concentrated carefully, completely absorbed in what she was doing. She lifted up her hand then and with it, a slim stream of floating water rose with it, attached to the skin of her palm like it had been glued on. The water seemed to glisten as it floated upwards, spiralling like a helter skelter at Ellie's hand grew further and further upwards. Eventually her hand stopped, but it was above her head now, and somehow the parade of water seemed to be spiralling around her body, crating a swirl of shimmering blue around slim figure. It was such a beautiful sight that I couldn't take my eyes off her; I just couldn't rip my eyes apart from the scene like it was permanently fixed.

Esme gasped and like Eloise had been startled, her eye contact with the water broke and the water fell through its invisible hold and towered all over her, wetting her face, hair and clothes. I was suddenly glad then that I had chosen to give her water; what if I had given her Coca-cola?


End file.
